Festival promotes Pasco’s arts

WESLEY CHAPEL — Now in its ninth year, the Suncoast Arts Fest will be held at The Shops of Wiregrass, 28211 Paseo Drive, on Jan. 18-19 with not only art, but live music and food vendors.

The cobblestone main street edged with trees provides the venue for visitors to browse through tents filled with art from more than 120 artists.

The Suncoast Arts Fest, a production of the Fine Arts of the Suncoast, is a free event that promotes cultural awareness in Pasco County. It benefits Arts for Kids, a supplemental arts education funding program for Pasco schools. In 2012 $10,814 was awarded from event proceeds.

Among the many awards for winning artists are: Best of Show, $2,000; Award of Excellence, $1,000; Award of Distinction, two at $500 each; Award of Merit, four at $250 each.

There will also be live entertainment over the two days of the event. The entertainment lineup includes:

Additional entertainment includes the Art and Business Expo, 5-9 p.m. Saturday; and the Chalk Art Exhibition, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19.

The Suncoast Run for the Arts will get underway at 9 a.m. Jan. 19.

The 2014 Suncoast Arts Fest will present more than 130 juried visual artists and craftsman lined up along the main street in Wiregrass. Musical entertainment will be set up in Center Court and there will be an interactive art area for volunteers to assist children with their art projects

For information about The Suncoast Arts Fest at The Shops at Wiregrass, visit www.suncoastarts fest.com. Sponsors, artists, youth entertainers and volunteers can contact a show representative at info@suncoastartsfest.com or (727) 375-8986.

Tom Jackson

Tom Jackson’s baseball card — if he had one — would report he throws left, writes right. In his columns and blog, “The Right Stuff,” southpaw Jackson provides insight into the evolving human condition from a distinctly conservative point of view.Column | Blog